Easy Vegan Chili

Chili is the perfect cold weather comfort food. It’s easy to throw together if you keep your pantry well stocked with cans of beans and tomatoes. Gotta always be prepared for a zombie apocalypse, right? (We’ve been binge watching The Walking Dead with Tony cat recently.) Back when I first stopped eating meat, I made my chili with vegan sausage or meatless grounds, but they never hold up as well as beans do. You can use any kind of beans you like for this recipe. This batch was made with chickpeas and pinto beans.

Of course, the best thing about chili is the toppings! Check out my suggestions below, or try the toppings I used here: The Vegan Roadie’s cashew sour cream, sliced scallions, and a heavy dose of nutritional yeast.

Easy Vegan Chili
Makes 4 hearty bowls
Total time: approx 1 hour

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
1 tbsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 large can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
3 cups vegetable broth (or water)
2 cans (15 oz each) of beans
Salt and pepper

Topping Ideas
Sliced scallions
Nutritional yeast
Cashew sour cream
Vegan cheese shreds
Jalapeno peppers
Avocado chunks
Fresh cilantro
Fried onions
Lime wedges

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion, then saute until the onion begins to sweat. Add the cumin, Italian seasoning, paprika, and cayenne pepper, then saute for a couple more minutes until fragrant.

Add the tomatoes and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover, but tilt the lid slightly so steam can escape. Simmer for approximately 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the beans. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and taste the chili frequently as it can be easy to accidentally go overboard with the salt. Continue to simmer uncovered until the liquid is reduced and desired consistency is achieved (approx 10 minutes).

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